Slayers Gears
by Earth Star
Summary: World class sorceress and inventor, Lina Inverse, gets black mailed into accepting a job, and if that wasn't bad enough she finds herself in a situation that could destroy the world.  Does she have the skills to stop it?  Steampunk AU
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I don't own this series or any of these characters and I don't want to make a profit from writing this story.

Prologue

Rezo the Red Priest's fingers drummed loudly on the table. He stared at his notes, ignoring the way his legs were feeling numb from sitting in the same spot for the last two hours. Strangers would be shocked to find him reading, since it was widely known that Rezo had been blind since birth. Few people knew that Rezo was able to use his magic sight to read like any regular person. He could trace the shapes and read the ink letters with his magic, but his was still surrounded in darkness. It didn't satisfy his yearning to see the world with his own eyes.

A chilling wind blew in through the window. The Red Priest shivered and wrapped his robe tighter. The last thing he wanted was to freeze in the cold air.

Rezo scowled. Just when he thought he might be able to make serious progress on a cure to his blindness, his grandson had to pull this stunt. Not that he blamed the boy, but the circumstances could not be worse.

"Lord Rezo."

He looked up to his maid, Ozel. He hadn't even heard her or the wheeled tray clanking when she entered the room. That was an achievement in itself, considering Rezo's hearing was more heightened than most.

Solemnly, and with no emotion in her voice, she asked "It has become quite cold. Do you want a cup of tea, Lord Rezo?"

He sighed and leaned back. "Yes, that sounds very good right now. Would you also put another log on the fire?"

Ozel nodded and swiftly poured his cup. He didn't have to tell her to put in some milk and no sugar. The maid had an incredible memory for such minor details. It had caused Eris to be quite jealous several times in the past.

Rezo reached for his cup, but then heard quick footsteps. He placed his cup back on the saucer and stood, as his two servants entered the study.

"Zolf, Rodimus, did you find him?"

He heard a sigh from the old knight. "Forgive us Lord Rezo," Rodimus began. "But we were unable to locate Master Zelgadis."

"It seems your suspicions were correct," Zolf replied, with a hint of aggravation in his voice. "Some of the locals saw Master Zelgadis leave the town, hitching a ride in a hay wagon of all things." He clicked his tongue. "In short, Master Zelgadis has run away."

Rezo grumbled. "That boy. He has no idea what he has gotten himself into."

"What will you do Lord Rezo?" asked Ozel. "Are you going after him?"

The Red Priest sighed. "I have unfinished business here and I can't leave. Zolf, Rodimus, can I trust you two to find him?"

Zolf huffed slightly. "Finding him isn't the problem. It's him staying in one place long enough for us to nab him that's the trouble."

"He'll have to catch his breath eventually," Rezo commented. "But I need you to bring him back, at any cost."

"Understood, Lord Rezo," Rodimus replied. "We will bring the young master back. We won't fail you."

Rezo massaged his temples as his servants left. He was clearly not going to have any more good mornings for a long while.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

_Why Did I Hire You?_

_**3 Months Later**_

Lina climbed the basement stairs, wiping the dirt off her overalls. "The pipes are fixed Mrs. Jenkins. They should work fine now."

The plump woman poked her head out of the kitchen. "Oh, thank you, dear." She handed Lina a clean towel as she wiped her own hands on her apron. "The pipe just burst this morning and with Henry gone for the weekend I had no clue what to do." Mrs. Jenkins smiled. "Thank heavens, we have such a reliable plumber."

Lina twitched, but she collected her tools and attempted a fake smile. "Mrs. Jenkins, we've been through this. I do repairs, but I'm not a plumber OR a handyman, I'm an inventor-"

"Yes, yes," Mrs. Jenkins said, fetching her purse, which told Lina she wasn't paying attention. "Here's your payment, dear."

As soon as the coins touched her fingers, her irritation vanished. Lina felt ten times better. Money was the best medicine. It could make anything better. "Well, in that case, I'll be going."

Mrs. Jenkins frowned. "Actually, Miss Lina, Mrs. Greenwood told me she wanted you to take a look a her carriage-"

"Oh, my! Look at the time!" Lina exclaimed, quickly grabbing her tool box. "There's not enough time in the day. I'm late for a...dentist appointment!"

"But-"

Lina headed for the door faster than any athlete in a marathon. "I'll-see-you-later-Mrs. Jenkins-BYE!" Lina bolted and didn't stop until she reached the safety of a street corner and slumped against the lamppost.

"That was close," Lina muttered. Normally, Lina wouldn't escape job offers. Money was money. However, the last time she had worked for Mrs. Greenwood, she ended up working her butt off for two days straight and Lina had needed to drag her rightful payment out of her. Plus, Lina was dead tired. She'd been doing house calls since sunrise.

Grimly, Lina tucked her hands behind her head as she started to hike home. _"Lina Inverse, genius sorceress and inventor now reduce to a simple handyman." _She cringed. _"If Sis saw me like this, she'd be laughing her ass off."_

However, Lina had only herself to blame. She did figure she would be reduced to this role once she came to Seyrune. It was one of the countries that hadn't been conquered by the revolutionaries. At least, not yet. The royal government and nobles here proudly supported the use of magic and turned up their noses at the very notion of steam powered engines.

Lina figured opening a repair shop was the route to take. With the lack of repair shops and mechanics in Seyrune, there would be less competition and she would make more money. She was soon proven to have been correct with her assumption. The locals were always asking her to make repairs from their pluming to their toaster. Lina just didn't forsee what a blow it would be to her pride and ego.

It occurred to Lina she could have opened the shop as a sorceress and sold magical items instead, but she specialized in black magic. It could raise unnecessary questions as to why she came to work in a city that dedicated itself to the study of white magic.

"_I should just go to a revolutionary town, like Atlas City," _she thought. _"I may not get as much money, but at least I would get more respect." _As soon as this thought passed, Lina's common sense came barging in. _"Oh sure! When I'm trying to keep a low profile from the Revolutionaries, I should go to a place that's just boiling over with them? Great idea, Lina!"_

She shook her head. _"Not much I can do about it now. I just need to lay low until I don't have to worry about attracting attention back home. Then, I'm out of here, and people can once again see me as the superior genius I am."_

"Hey, Lina!"

She cringed as her name was called. _Damn! It's Winston. _The shaggy brown haired boy smiled at her as he raced across the street. Lina had nothing against the guy. Truthfully, he could be rather pleasant. Winston's only major flaw was his urge to flirt with and date every single girl on the planet and Lina was 'lucky' enough to be next in his target range.

"You look like you've been busy," Winston said.

Lina kept walking and staring straight ahead. "Yup. So, I really don't have time to deal with you." Winston didn't realize she was refusing to stop for his own safety. She was not in the mood to reject him with a "No" again. If he kept persisting, Winston would soon have solid evidence of why having a hammer inserted into your skull was considered painful.

Since Winston didn't sense this danger, he raced ahead and forced Lina to halt in her tracks. "Aw, come on! Don't be like that. Let's go for that drink we've been talking about. You did say 'Yes'."

Lina rolled her eyes. Why did he have to be so stubborn? "No, I said I would think about it." _And that was just to shut you up."_

Winston grinned and leaned in. "Come on! You can't tell me you're not looking for some action? You've got to be lonely being in that shop all day! Why don't we-"

A fist flew between them and punched the wall. Caught off guard, Lina jumped. Winston stumbled backwards, white as a sheet. Lina's eyes followed the fist up the arm, up the chest, past the neck and up to the face of the man it was attached to.

He was young and blond, Lina guessed he was around the age of Winston, but the man was twice the creep's size. The man took back his fist, staring sternly at Winston with the glare of a growling doberman. "Are you deaf? The kid doesn't want to go with you."

_Who are you calling a 'kid?'_ Lina wanted to yell, but put a lid on it. This guy could be saving her a potential headache.

Winston held his hands up, afraid he was going to be hit. "O-okay, sure no problem. S-see you around!" In her entire life, Lina had never seen a man run so fast.

Her supposed 'savior' finally relaxed. "Hope he wasn't bugging you too much."

Lina recovered from the shock and realized he was talking to her. "Oh? Him? He does that all the time."

The man's eyes widened. "Really? Out in public? That's bold."

Lina raised an eyebrow. Had this guy never seen someone trying to flirt before? Sure, Winston was exasperating, but it wasn't like the guy was taking his clothes off while doing it.

"Look, thanks for the help, but I've got to go home."

The man seemed to awaken from his thoughts. "Oh sure, but still, doesn't he worry what people will say if they saw that?"

Lina sighed. "Look pal, I don't know what rock you've been living under, but out here in the real world, things like this are common."

The man blinked. "Seriously?"

"YES!" Lina snapped. Sure, he helped her out, but she was not in the mood for this. Lina started walking again. She would leave this jellyfish brain guy behind and have a nice deserving bath when she got home.

The man scratched his head. "It's just that, where I grew up, if people saw a guying hitting on another guy they would think it's weird."

Lina halted. All of her plans evaporated as her blood boiled. Little by little, she turned her head. "What do you mean 'on another guy'?"

The man seemed puzzled. "Well you and that-" The man had a moment of insight. He slammed his fist into his hand. "Oh! I get it! You're a girl!" He laughed. "Now, it makes sense. See, I thought you were a guy-"

The man's face was promptly greeted by the side of Lina's toolbox.

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Lina felt slightly refreshed when she was able to get home and change into a clean dress, but she still grumbled as she brushed her hair.

"_How could he think I was a guy? Is he blind?"_ Lina found her goggles, slipped them over her forehead and admired her reflection in her mirror. _"How could anyone possibly mistake this gorgeous body for that of a guy?" _Lina climbed down the stairs. She was desperate for a distraction and working on her inventions would provide that just fine. She refused to think about the incident any further.

"_Besides, it's not like I'll ever see that moron again. No point in getting myself any more angry over it."_

Lina turned her shop's sign to open and went to her backroom. She grabbed her wrench and screwdriver and sat at her work table. Gleefully, she grinned at her latest creation, the automatic teapot.

Many would mistake this for a normal teapot, if not for the wheels and gears sticking out of it near the bottom. In theory, this gadget should be able to boil, brew and pour cups of tea by itself. If only Lina could get the gears to work properly, then she could make millions with this baby.

Lina picked up her invention and spun the wheels near the bottom. "Tightening the screws might work-"

DING!

The shop's tiny bell rang.

Lina grumbled. _Why do costumers only choose to show up when I'm trying to work?_ Still clutching her wrench, Lina walked to the front.

"Hi, how can I-"

Lina forgot what her formal shop greeting was. Some unknown great divine being must have been tempted to play a practical joke on her for kicks. Either that, or Lina had the lousiest luck in the world. How else could she be staring at the guy she had been trying to erase from her mind in her own shop?

The source of her current frustration, stared back equally as surprised. "Hey! Aren't you that girl from earlier?"

Keeping her lips in a firm line, Lina stomped around the counter and shoved him towards the door. "Sorry Sir, we're closing."

"But it's the middle of the afternoon."

"Well, I have a large headache from dealing with jellyfish-brain idiots, so I'm closing."

The man dug his feet in and held his hands on the doorframe. "You're not still mad are you?"

"Oh, no!" Lina cried, putting her full strength into shoving him out. "I love it when strangers out right tell me they mistake me for a man. It's every girl's dream!"

The man remained where he stood, refusing to budge. "Look, I'm sorry, but can you blame me? You were wearing overalls, covered in dirt and you have a flat-"

"Say 'flat chest', and I'll be shoving this wrench into your skull!" Lina cried, waving her weapon in the air. "And never mind those details, wasn't my long hair a big enough clue for you?"

"Not really," the man turned around. "I've seen lots of guys with long hair, including me." He paused. "Actually, my hair used to be a little longer than yours."

Lina scowled, but kept her mouth shut. He did have a point. Impatiently, Lina tapped her foot. "Fine, so why are you here? I'm going to warn you, I have a long list of things I need to fix before I can get to your request."

The man scratched his head. "Actually, I came to ask if you would hire me."

Lina stared skeptically. It was only then she noticed the sword strapped to his side. Her eyes widened. How could she not notice that earlier? She was usually so observant. Then again, she was distracted by Winston at the time. The blame would fall on him.

She crossed her arms. "Sorry, I don't have any jobs for a swordsman."

The man glanced down and touched his sword hilt. "Oh, this is a side profession for me." He grinned. "My main trade is being a mechanic."

"That doesn't change anything," Lina went back around her counter. "I don't need a mechanic."

The man rested his arms on the counter. "You can't be telling me you don't need an extra mechanic. I heard you're the only person working here and I'll bet you're having a hard time keeping up with the work orders."

_How can a jellyfish brain be so perceptive?_ Lina thought bitterly. It had been a challenge to finish her orders on time. She lost count of how much sleep she'd lost trying to finish repairs.

"Give me a chance," he continued. "I don't like to brag, but I can fix anything thrown at me."

Slowly, she glanced over her shoulder. He wasn't a bad looking guy. In reality, he was rather attractive and he did seem to be a decent guy, even if he wasn't too bright. Still, she refused to hire him on the spot. She did have strict principles for her shop and she had to have payback for the 'guy' comment.

Smiling smugly, Lina opened her drawer and placed an old rusty alarm clock on the counter. "Okay, big shot, see if you can fix this clock. If you can, then I'll hire you."

The man frowned as he picked up the clock. He repeatedly turned the small clock from front to back in his hands.

Lina chuckled to herself. She had been working on that clock for weeks, but in her opinion, it was beyond hope. If she couldn't fix it, there was no way this jellyfish brain could.

RRIINNGG!

Lina jumped ten feet in the air. The man turned the dial and placed it on the counter. "It was a loose screw. Except for a few drops of oil, it should work just fine."

Lina's jaw dropped. "H-how?"

The man extended his hand. "It will be nice working with you, Boss. By the way, my name is Gourry Gabriev."

Dumbfounded, Lina shook his hand. "I don't believe this."

Ignoring her shocked state, Gourry went into the back and climbed up the stairs. "So, which room should I take? The small one at the end of the hall?"

That broke Lina from her shock. "Hold it! Why do you want a room? Don't you need to go home?"

"Nope," Gourry called out. "I just arrived in this city this morning and I can't afford another night at the inn. Besides, since I'm working here, it makes more sense to live at the shop."

"NO, IT DOESN'T!" Lina yelled, causing the small alarm clock to topple over. "You can work here, but you're not living here! UNDERSTAND! This is a man free zone!"

"I'm taking a bath! Hope you don't mind!" Gourry yelled, followed by the sound of a closing door.

Lina was dying to scream; instead she banged her forehead on her counter trying to comprehend on how exactly she ended up with a new roommate.

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No matter how much Lina protested or threatened, Gourry ignored her and stayed in the shop. Eventually, Lina decided it would cost her less damage to her shop if she just let him stay. During the upcoming weeks, as much as Lina wanted to deny it, Gourry was true to his word and proved to be a good mechanic. For once, Lina was getting work orders done on time, sometimes even ahead of schedule. Hiring Gourry might have been one of the smartest moves she could have made, not that she would ever tell him that.

So far, she had no problems with the man, until one fateful morning. She heard Gourry grunting as he passed by. She glanced up from the magnifying glass she was using to fix the music box in time to witness Gourry carrying a large pile of books in his arms. She immediately recognized the pile as her collection of spell books.

"Gourry, what are you doing?"

"I found these in the storage room. I was going to throw them out."

Lina had a heart attack. "Are you nuts?" She seized the pile back from him, glaring at him like he had suggested burning a kitten alive. "These are my spell books! I've spent years collecting these."

Gourry frowned, confused. "Why? You're not a sorceress."

The books gave a loud thud as she dropped them on her table. "As a matter of fact jellyfish-brain, I happen to be a genius at sorcery."

Gourry appeared to be even more baffled. "But, I thought you were an inventor."

"I am!" she snapped, getting back to her task at hand.

"So, wait," Gourry replied, slowly. "You mean, you're both?"

Lina rolled her eyes. "Isn't that what I'm saying or is your small brain unable to understand the concept?"

The blond mechanic scratched his head. "But, why? Don't most people just pick one or the other? I've never heard of a person studying both."

Lina couldn't argue that it was rare to find a person who studies both magic and machinery. For the last 100 years, since the invention of the first steam engine, the fierce bickering between the Revolutionaries who supported the progress of technology and the Traditionalists and Royalists who supported the use of magic had grown into a massive conflict. Lina remembered once reading about some heads that had been literally chopped off as part of one of the debates.

Due to this, people had either picked to study solely magic or technology, almost no one would study both. Some would have even argued it was suicide to try mastering both fields.

However, truth be told, Lina could see the advantages to both sides. Magic was useful and powerful. There were times magic could almost seem limitless, but only a select few could master it and it could take a lot of energy out of a person.

Technology, while not nearly as convenient as magic, could be used by anyone. That was probably why so many of the working class supported it, since it theoretically put everyone on the same level. At least, that's what the Revolutionaries argued.

Frankly, Lina had found both sides to be fascinating. She'd made that choice as a child, and she refused to change her opinion.

"I'm not like most people," Lina replied, as she adjusted and twisted the wire. "I honestly love both magic and machines. For me, trying to stick to one is like a mother having to choose between her children." She turned in her seat. "So, I do both."

Gourry folded his arms. "Okay, I get that, but I can't help but think that you can run into a lot of trouble by doing that.

"You don't know the half of it," Lina muttered.

DING! The shop bell rang.

Lina set aside her tools and adjusted her goggles. "Let's deal with this customer and then I want you to put my spell books back." She glared. "In alphabetical order." _Ha! That will teach him to touch other people's property!_

She grinned self-righteously to herself as she went to the front of the store. The customer that had entered was not what she had expected.

He was a young man, with expensive clothing that loudly proclaimed his wealth. Taken aback, Lina slowly approached him. She had had nobles as costumers before, but it was rare for one to come to her shop personally. Normally, they would send a servant to do the job.

"Can I help you?" Lina asked, as Gourry followed.

The man didn't smile. His eyes narrowed and he stared at her with a stern look.

"I'm looking for a Lina Inverse."

Lina frowned, as she gained a closer look at the nobleman's outfit. He wore gloves, which was peculiar. It had been a hot summer in Seyrune. Wouldn't his hands get sweaty? Then, there was another small details that bothered her. Patches of dry mud clung to the bottom of his pants.

Lina could care less about another person's sense of hygiene, but most of the nobles she encountered would insist on changing their wardrobe if they got even a tiny stain. Yet, this guy was walking around with dirt on his pants?

_Oh well, maybe he's just one of those eccentric rich people._

She folded her arms. "That would be me. What can I do for you?"

The man seemed to ease up slightly. "My name is Zelgadis Greywords and I have a job for you."

Gourry shrugged. "Sure, that's no problem. What do you want us to fix?"

Zelgadis paused, shoving his hands into his pocket.

"What's wrong?" Gourry asked, tilting his head. "Did you forget it?"

"No…it's complicated."

Lina's inner alert system for trouble rang. He was acting for too agitated for a simple repair job.

Zelgadis stared directly at Lina. "I've heard you're an inventor? You have a lot of experience working with machines?"

"That would be why I have this shop?"

"But you're also a sorceress, correct?"

The inner alarm bells rang louder. Lina had made sure to hide her sorcery skills when she came to Seyrune. She refused to take any chances of the Revolutionaries back home tracking her. This was getting more suspicious by the minute.

"How did you hear about that?"

Zelgadis gave a half smile. "I did some research. The job I want to hire you for requires understanding of both magic and machinery."

"So, what is the job exactly?" Gourry asked, who also sounded suspicious.

_Good, he's not a total jellyfish brain,_ Lina thought.

Zelgadis bit his lip. "I can't tell you here, but I swear to you, I'll give you a proper payment for it."

Lina swiftly turned on her heels. "Sorry, but no." She didn't bother to look back as she returned to the backroom. "I've got a good sixth sense about these kind of things and your job is just reeking of trouble."

Zelgadis's eyes narrowed. "So, you won't take it."

"You deaf? That's what I said." Lina proceeded to walk away.

"That's too bad." Zelgadis turned his attention to a shelf of spare parts for sale. "Perhaps the Revolutionaries can help me after I give them some interesting information about you."

Lina froze.

Zelgadis glanced out of the corner of his eye. "I travelled through Zephilia recently. While I was there, I heard some interesting rumours about a lake. Apparently, it used to be a prime spot for fishing, but last year locals heard a loud explosion coming from it." He turned to Lina. "They ran and found the lake to be completely destroyed. The fish, the plants, everything was dead. I think it's called the sea of death now."

Giant butterflies fluttered in Lina's stomach.

Zelgadis approached her as he continued. "The sorcerers had theorized the damage was caused by powerful magic, but they had never seen or heard of a spell that could cause such damage. The Revolutionaries were very concerned, from what I hear. They even began to keep a tighter grip on the sorcery schools there." He sighed. "It's unfortunate, since the magic schools were finally getting used to having more freedom since the Revolutionaries took over."

"What does this have to do with Lina?" Gourry asked as he moved closer to her.

Zelgadis shrugged. "Oh nothing, except around the same time the investigation began, the well known inventor and sorceress Lina Inverse disappeared." He leaned in close. "The Revolutionaries have been trying to find whoever cast the spell and I can't blame them. That would be a dangerous spell for anyone to have. Just think about how much damage this person could do to them. He or SHE could easily wipe out an entire army of Revolutionaries with that kind of spell."

He stopped in front of Lina. "But the timing of it is funny. Don't you agree, Lina?"

Lina bit her tongue and scowled.

"Think about it. You leave home at the same time the lake is destroyed? I asked your family where you went and they told me you went off to see relatives, but here you are."

Lina fumed. The guy had her cornered and he knew it. She craved to wipe that confident smirk off his face. She was trapped. With nothing else to lose, she grabbed him by the collar. "What do you want?"

"A trade," Zelgadis replied, unfazed. "You help me with my problem and I don't blab this tidbit of information to the Revolutionaries."

"But that's blackmail!"

"I was hoping I wouldn't have to resort to this, but you left me no choice. So, will you take the job now?"

Lina snarled, as she let go. "Let's see, work for you or have you turn me in? What do you think?"

Zelgadis straightened his jacket. "Excellent. I'm staying at the Skylark Inn. I'll see you this evening."

Violent thoughts ran through Lina's mind as Zelgadis tipped his hat and left with the smirk of a fox escaping with a chicken in his mouth.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

**Fix A Broken Heart?**

"Lina, what was that about?"

Lina marched to the backroom. "Nothing you have to worry about."

Gourry grabbed her by the shoulder. "Don't give me that! That guy was threatening you, and I want to know why!"

"It's none of your business," Lina snapped, brushing his hand away. "It's safer for you if you don't know."

"Lina, I'm working for you, I have the right to know." He folded his arms. "Besides, what kind of man would I be if I ignored a lady who's obviously in trouble?"

"I'm a big girl, Gourry, I can take care of myself."

The mechanic frowned and gently placed both hands on her shoulders. "Lina, please, I want to help. Tell me what's going on. They say two heads are better than three."

Lina sighed. "That's 'better than one', Gourry." She tapped her foot, staring at the floor. She couldn't blame him for wanting to know. If she found out her boss was hiding something she'd want to know too. Still, she didn't like the idea of telling someone her secrets, but on the other hand, it was pointless to pretend at this stage of the game.

She glanced back. "Make some tea and grab some cookies. If I'm telling a story, I want refreshments."

Gourry nodded and went into the small kitchen. Lina sat at the table, tugging at her goggles as the tea kettle boiled. Shortly, Gourry placed a plate of cookies near her. She waited until the tea was ready and she had a fresh cup in her hand before she started her tale.

"It was around half a year now I think, when I got into a bit of trouble. As I told you, I study both magic and technology, and I'm rather a genius at it." She smiled smugly. "In fact the sorcerer's and the scientist's guilds were fighting over me to join them. Anyway, everything was fine and dandy until the sorcerer's guild found something."

Gourry nibbled at his cookie. "What? Some kind of treasure?"

"Not just any treasure," Lina kept her lips in a firm line. "In an ancient ruin, they found copies of the pages from the Claire Bible manuscript."

Gourry blinked. "The Claire what?"

Lina spat out her mouthful of tea. "What do you mean 'what'? You've never heard of the Claire Bible?"

"I don't study magic," Gourry replied simply.

"So? Even a 3 year old has heard of it!" She sighed. How could anyone be this dense? "The Claire Bible is the left over memories and power of the Water Dragon King after he died battling Gaav the Demon Dragon King." Lina dunked her cookie into her tea. "Over the centuries, scholars have doubted that the Claire Bible actually exists, mainly because each time a copy of the manuscript was found it was mysteriously burned or went missing soon after its discovery." She bit into her cookie. "In fact, the pages that were found in Zephilia were also mysteriously destroyed in a fire a month later. There were rumours the Revolutionaries were behind that particular incident, but there was no clear evidence."

Gourry frowned. "So, what does this have to do with you?"

Lina smirked. "Before the pages were destroyed, I managed to snag a peek at them and memorized two passages out of it." Slothfully, she traced her finger over the rim of her teacup. "I told my sister about it and we decided to try it out. So, we went to the old lake nobody visited, except for maybe the odd fishermen. I combined the incantations and tried out the spell." The chills came back as the memories resurfaced. "Sis and I never would have tried it out if we knew what kind of power it produced."

Gourry sweated. "Did it really destroy the lake?"

"Not just the lake, the whole land around the lake was devastated. The grass and trees were turned to ash." The smell of the place still haunted her. It was a weird combination of brimstone and cinders. "Nothing will be able to live in that place for one thousand years at least. I named the spell the Giga Slave, because although it's similar to the Dragon Slave it has a more gigantic effect."

The mechanic frowned and leaned on his elbows. "And that's why you left home?"

Lina rested her cheek on her palm. "I didn't have a choice. It wasn't going to take long for the Revolutionaries to figure out who cast the spell and I refused to put my family in danger because of it. Mom and Dad were reluctant, but after Sis talked to them, they agreed I should lay low until the heat died down." She grimaced. "And that plan was working just fine until today."

Gourry patted her shoulder. "Well, you don't have to worry about me blabbing. My grandma told me it's not honourable to tell a person's secrets, but what about this Zelgadis?" He drummed his fingers. "He might still turn you in even if you complete his job to the letter."

Lina massaged her temples. "Believe me, I am fully aware of that, but right now, he's got me between a rock and a hard place. I'll have to do what he says, until I can think of a way out of this mess."

Gourry stroked his chin. "I would've suggested seducing him with your sexual wiles but I highly doubt that will have any affect with your body."

Lina twitched. "Gourry, be careful with your words, I have no problem adding 'murder' to my list of crimes."

"Oh come on, can't you take a joke?"

The red head simply glared as she gulped her tea.

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It didn't take too long to locate the Skylark Inn, although its location surprised Lina. It was in the shadier area of downtown Seyrune where a lot of the city's lowlifes tended to hang out. It wasn't exactly a common first choice on the Noble's list of "Areas we need to visit". This only tripled Lina's suspicions about the man. _"If a nobleman like him is forcing himself to stay near the bottom of the social ladder, it must be because he's hiding."_

The innkeeper told them where they could find Zelgadis' room. As she and Gourry were stared at by the other residents, Lina couldn't help but grip the small dagger she kept in her pocket. A girl couldn't be too careless when hanging out with lowlifes. She was glad she had Gourry as backup. It wasn't that Lina couldn't take care of herself, but it made her feel more at ease having someone able to watch her back.

Lina spotted the door and knocked. The door opened with a small crack, revealing one eye. Once Zelgadis saw who knocked, he fully opened the door and gestured for them to come in.

"I had thought you were going to come alone?" Zelgadis asked, as he looked to Gourry.

"He's my assistant; if I'm taking your job I'm going to need his help." Lina folded her arms. "I can vouch for him if you're worried about Gourry keeping his mouth shut. Besides," Lina raised an eyebrow "Can you blame me for wanting backup, especially for meeting you in this part of town? It wouldn't do you much good if I got stabbed and robbed."

Zelgadis eyes momentarily narrowed, but then shrugged. "I guess I can't blame you. Very well. I'll let him stay."

Lina rolled her eyes and took a moment to glance around. The room was average at best, but Lina was just content to see the small area was clean. She had pictured there being a few rats hiding under the bed when they first found the inn.

"I can order us some drinks if you like," Zelgadis offered, "But, I've seen the cellar and I honestly think you have a better chance of not getting sick by drinking bathwater."

"I'll take your word for it," Lina commented as she and Gourry each pulled up a chair. "Let's get down to business."

The nobleman nodded and sat at the other end of the table. "You'll be happy to know that the job I want to hire you for is simple. I need you to fix something."

Lina scoffed, tipping back in her chair. "What did you do? Break the family's grandfather clock?"

Zelgadis removed his jacket. "Not exactly," and then began to unbutton his shirt.

Gourry's eyes widened and he stood up. "Hey, what are you-"

"I'm not doing anything indecent, I assure you," Zelgadis replied as he finished with the last button. He took a deep breath and gradually, removed his shirt.

Lina leaned forward, biting her lower lip. A million birds were flapping in her stomach. A long thick scar was diagonally carved into the nobleman's skin. It went from Zelgadis's right shoulder and all the way down to his waist. She said nothing, but the birds in her stomach were flapping and honking like wild geese.

Zelgadis placed his left hand over his chest. "What I need you to fix is my heart."

"Wouldn't it be better to go to a doctor then?" Gourry asked confused, but he too seemed concerned by the scar.

Lina uncomfortably drummed her fingers on the table. "I bet he would if it was a regular heart, but I'm guessing you have something special."

Zelgadis nodded. "A few months ago, I was…in an accident and my heart was stabbed. I was at death's door, but my life was spared." His fingers traced the faded scar. "I was saved by having a mechanical heart put in its place."

Lina stared dumbfounded at the spot where Zelgadis' heart lay. "How? There have been theories on mechanical hearts, but nobody has been able to perfect it. They keep rusting and stopping a few days after being inserted, and that's if a person is able to hook up the nerves and the veins properly. Who was your inventor that did this?"

Zelgadis' fists tightened. "I'm afraid that information I'll keep to myself and this heart isn't just made out of gears and metal." He paused. "It's also powered by magic."

Lina leaped out of her chair. "Are you serious?"

Zelgadis nodded as he redid the buttons on his shirt. "The inventor who made this cast spells on it to keep it from rusting and to ensure it keeps running. He also used a couple of white magic spells to reconnect the heart to the blood veins."

Lina was still speechless. For somebody to successfully create a mechanical heart that was powered by magic, they had to be both an expert in technology and magic. Even if some regular mechanic did swallow enough of his pride to learn a couple of spells, the kind of magic this would required was high level magic that would take years to master. She was starting to understand why Zelgadis needed her specifically, but there was still one question.

"Your heart is still functioning properly?"

"I'm still walking, talking and breathing," Zelgadis replied, slipping his jacket back on. "In fact, my body has appeared to have gotten stronger because of it."

"Then, I don't get it," Gourry replied. "If your heart is working fine, why do you need Lina?"

Zelgadis flinched. "It has one unexpected side effect." He appeared hesitant, but he removed his gloves and laid his blue hands on the table.

Lina stared shocked and reached out to touch his hand. Quickly, he drew his hand back, but then Zelgadis stretched it out again. "Sorry, I'm still not comfortable with people seeing this."

Lina nodded and gently touched his skin. She gulped. "It's made of stone."

"It began 3 months ago and it's no longer just my hand." Zelgadis closed his eyes and ran his hand through his hair. "It's now up to my shoulders. My body is slowly turning to stone."

Lina frowned. "Okay, I can understand why you need my help. This isn't something you want just any person knowing about. I'm sure there are a couple of mad scientists out there who would love to turn you into their next science experiment." She leaned on her hand. "But why don't you go to the inventor that created your heart in the first place?"

Zelgadis' eyes narrowed. "I don't trust him and that's all I'll say on the matter." He looked up. "So, will you help me?"

Lina coughed. As if she had a choice. "I can try, but I have to be honest, I haven't done much research in this field. It will take me awhile to figure it out."

"That's fine with me," Zelgadis replied, appearing more relaxed. "I just want to have somebody to be able to cure me. Besides my inventor, you're the only other person who I could find to have enough knowledge to fix this."

Lina folded her arms. "You said you were going to pay me? Mind telling me how? Since you're staying here, you can't have that much money."

Zelgadis smirked. "You need to be a bit more faithful." He reached into his pocket and brought out a small pouch. The contents of the bags were dumped onto the table.

The dollar signs lit up in Lina's eyes. There were diamonds, rubies, an emerald, pieces of jewelry, and even a small orihalcon statue. All together, these items could pay for her meals for at least a couple of months.

"I made sure to snag a few items before I left home." Zelgadis picked up the orihalcon statue. "I'm sure this alone will fetch a hefty price. I'll give you all of these as my payment."

"Deal!" Lina said, shaking his head and not taking her eyes off the glittering gems.

Gourry sighed. "So much for resisting temptation."

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Lina and Zelgadis worked out the final details of the agreement and made plans for Zelgadis to come to the shop the next morning. Lina was still suspicious of him, since he was clearly not telling her everything. For now, however, she was getting paid, so she was happy. There was no immediate demand for getting Zelgadis to tell her everything. Lina would just wait. Unfortunately, the need seemed to come much quicker than she had planned.

Zelgadis followed Lina and Gourry down the stairs and had intended to escort them to the door. He was in a calm mood, until a voice yelled "Master Zelgadis!" He froze in mid-step.

Lina ended up running into his back. "Zelgadis! What's the idea?"

He answered with a curse as he glanced to the left of the stairs. Near the inn door stood an older man carrying a long sword at his hip. As soon as Zelgadis spotted him, the man raced to the bottom of the stairs.

"Rodimus," Zelgadis muttered.

"Friend of yours?" Gourry asked.

The nobleman whirled around, panic visible in his face. "I have to go. I'll meet you at your shop later."

Lina frowned. "Zelgadis, what-"

Zelgadis shoved her aside as he ran up the stairs. "Wait! Master Zelgadis!" Rodimus bellowed as he ran up the stairs, but he was forced to stop as Gourry blocked him. The old man glared, bringing out his sword. "Get out of my way, boy."

Gourry's eyes narrowed, reaching for his own sword. "Lina, go after Zel. I'll take care of this guy, but watch your back."

Lina nodded as she ran off.

Rodimus glared. "You're the one who should watch your back, boy."

Gourry smirked, gripping his sword tightly. "We'll see about that."

Zelgadis frantically kicked the door to his room open and grabbed his pouch. Swiftly, he hitched his sword to his belt. In truth, he wasn't shocked that Rodimus had managed to find him. The old knight had probably vowed he wouldn't rest until he did.

That was precisely the reason why Zelgadis made certain to never stay in one town for more than a few days. His hope had been that he had travelled far enough from home that Rodimus wouldn't be able track him to Seyrune for months. Zelgadis never anticipated that Rodimus would find him so quickly.

"_I'll have to hide out in Lina's shop"_ Zelgadis thought, as he ran to the window, _"Until I can find a more suitable hiding place."_ The nobleman threw open the shutters and jumped out of the window. He cast Levitation as his body started to fall. His descent slowed down as the spell took over and Zelgadis gently landed in the alley.

Zelgadis smirked. "Now I can-"

A loud clang from behind echoed in the air. Zelgadis body was paralyzed. He could barely turn his neck as he spotted a dagger pinning his shadow.

"A shadow snap?" Zelgadis choked out.

"Sorry, Master Zelgadis, but you left me no choice." A figure appeared from the dark end of the alley.

"Zolf?"

Zelgadis watched helplessly, as his former magic tutor walked around in front of him. "I told Rodimus you would jump out of the window, but he never listens to me."

"Let me go!" Zelgadis ordered. He glared fiercely at Zolf.

Zolf shook his head. "Can't do that. It's time for you to be a good boy and come home."

"You can't make me," Zelgadis growled.

Zolf sighed in the same manners he did when he had caught Zelgadis playing hooky on his lessons as a child. "I'm afraid you misunderstood, Master Zelgadis. It wasn't a request."

Zelgadis willed for his hands to move, but he couldn't even get his pinky to budge. Suddenly a voice yelled.

"Zelgadis! Hold your breath!"

A large round ball dropped from the window. Obeying, Zelgadis took a deep breath. The ball crashed. Thick smoke smothered the alley.

Zolf collapsed wheezing and coughing. "A…smoke bomb…?"

Zelgadis heard someone landing and felt a hand on his shoulder as Lina came in view. "Hang on, Zelgadis, I'll spring you loose."

The nobleman was never so happy in his life to see a lighting spell being cast. His shadow was freed and he bolted, grabbing Lina's arm.

He momentarily looked back at Zolf, feeling a small pang of guilt. "Sorry, Zolf,' He muttered. The pair ran out of the alley and into the street.

"Where's Gourry?" Zelgadis asked.

Lina went to open her mouth, when the inn's door burst open and Gourry came flying through and slammed against the pavement.

"Does that answer your question?" Lina asked as they rushed over.

Gourry clutched his sword and wipe a trickle of blood off his lip. "I have to admit, you're not bad old man!"

Rodimus rushed onto the street. "Neither are you!" he replied, going into battle stance. He then spotted Zelgadis, but he didn't break his posture. "Master Zelgadis, I beseech you, please come back with us."

"I can't do that Rodimus!" Zelgadis replied, reaching for his own sword.

Rodimus shook his head. "Then we'll have to use force-"

"Freeze arrow!" Zolf yelled from the alleyway.

Lina whirled around. "Flare arrow!"

The spells clashed. The bright flash stunned everyone's eyes as they tumbled back.

"Zolf! Watch it!" Rodimus hollered.

"Hey! It's not my fault she cast a flare arrow!"

Lina grinned as an idea entered her genius brain. She slipped her goggles over her eyes and dug into her pocket. "This is getting us nowhere. Guys get ready to run and shield your eyes!" She brought out a flash bomb and tossed it.

A bright flash engulfed the street. A series of yells and cries of pain from Zolf and Rodimus soon followed. With the goggles protecting her sight, Lina grabbed Gourry and Zelgadis's arms and pulled them away from the light. She forced them to keep running as she heard the city's guardsmen arriving to investigate the disturbance, but it wasn't going to be fast enough.

"Zelgadis, cast Levitation. We have to get out of here."

"Understood," Zelgadis said as he muttered an incantation.

"Huh," Gourry replied. "I don't know any spells. You guys are just going to ditch me?"

"No," Lina replied as she floated in the air. "We're carrying you. Zelgadis take his right arm, I'll grab the other one."

"WAIT!" the mechanic protested as the pair took hold. "I'm afraid of heights!" Gourry let out a terrified scream as he was carried up in the air.

"If you don't shut up, we could just drop you," Lina snapped.

Taking a look at the ground far below his feet, Gourry decided it would be better to stay quiet and suffered in silence as they made their way back to the shop.

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"Okay Zelgadis, spill."

The nobleman barely glanced up from his seat. "I don't know what you mean."

Lina's eyes narrowed as she folded her arms. "Look, I know you didn't tell us the whole story about your 'predicament' and I can appreciate that a guy like you needs to keep his secrets." She leaned over the table. "However, that was before Gourry and I had to risk our necks to save your butt. So, you owe it to us to tell us the WHOLE story."

Zelgadis made no expression as he looked to Lina and the shaking Gourry who was still trying to recover from his flight across the city. He placed his elbows on the table and shook his head.

"I guess I have no choice at this point." He rubbed his glove hands together. "Those men you encountered earlier were Rodimus and Zolf. They're servants who work for my family and they also used to be my tutors." He leaned his chin on his hands. "I'm assuming they came to fetch me and force me to go back home, which I can't afford to do."

Lina raised an eyebrow. "Aren't you a little old to be running away from home?"

"It's not that simple!" Zelgadis snapped. "The reason I'm in this mess is because of my grandfather."

Lina clicked her tongue. "Was he the one who created your heart?"

Zelgadis grimly nodded.

"I have to say I'm surprised. It's one thing for a nobleman to study magic, but to also study technology? That's a big taboo for a noble isn't it?"

Gourry blinked. "Why would he want a tattoo?"

Lina whacked the mechanic with his slipper. "Not tattoo! Taboo! It's a common trait for people in the high class to look down on anyone who works with machines or technology."

"Most noble families support the royal governments and oppose the Revolutionaries" Zelgadis continued. "And since the Revolutionaries support technology, the noble class will cling to magic out of spite."

Gourry rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I know that much. I just didn't know what taboo meant."

Lina sighed. "Anyway, it's rather surprising to hear a nobleman studying both fields."

Zelgadis bit his tongue. "My grandfather originally studied only magic, but within the last 20 years he started to study technology as well. He was hoping to cure his blindness."

The last line stopped Lina cold. "Blindness?" Her eyes widened. There was only one nobleman she could think of who was blind and had the mastery of magic required to create Zelgadis's heart. She gulped. "Your grandfather isn't Rezo the Red Priest is he?"

Zelgadis grimaced, but nodded.

"Who?" Gourry asked.

Lina and Zelgadis almost fell out of their chairs. "You never heard of Rezo the Red Priest?" She threw her hands up in the air. "He's one of the legendary five great sages." She slapped her forehead. "Wait, why am I surprised? If you have never heard of the Claire Bible, it's obvious you wouldn't have heard of Rezo."

Zelgadis' jaw dropped. "He's never heard of the Claire Bible?"

"It's not that big of a deal," Gourry grumbled.

Lina sat down. "Rezo the Red Priest is a world renowned healer, who's healed millions of people. However, there's a bit of irony in his case."

"Yes," Zelgadis agreed. "Rezo has been blind since birth, which is why he started studying magic in the first place; despite his best efforts he has found no cure. So, while he's been able to heal other people, he's never been able to heal his own eyes."

"But now this is even more confusing," Lina replied, turning back to Zelgadis. "If Rezo of all people was the one that created your heart, why don't you have him fix it?"

"Because I don't trust him." Zelgadis' fists tightened. "The reason this contraption was put in me was because of an accident I had, but now I'm wondering if he was somehow behind it and planned it."

Lina frowned. "Start at the beginning."

Zelgadis ran his hand through his hair. "It actually started before the accident. For the last year or so, Rezo has been acting oddly. He would spend weeks on end down in his lab, but that didn't concern me. He'd always spend a lot of time in his lab. It was his violent mood swings that concerned me."

He frowned. "He would have sudden outbursts and started smashing everything in his lab. He's even attacked our maid Ozel a few times." Zelgadis shook his head. "Rezo would always apologize soon afterward, but it still felt wrong to me. I've never seen him act like that and Rodimus was concerned as well, but Zolf just thought he was stressed by his research."

Zelgadis closed his eyes as he remembered. "But then, he spent a whole month down in his lab and one night I heard this loud noise, like a rumble. It sounded like an earthquake. I decided to investigate to see if Rezo was alright."

He cringed at the next part of his story. "The last thing I remember was climbing down the stairs and seeing Rezo working on this robot model. The floor was covered in magic wards and there was a large machine. Before I could ask Rezo what he was doing, there was an explosion and a steel beam flew towards me."

He shuddered. "All I remember was intense pain before I blacked out. It was a week later before I woke up with Rezo hovering over me. He told me the steel beam went straight through my heart and I was dying. Having no other choice, he implanted the mechanical heart he had been working on."

"So, he saved your life," Gourry mentioned.

"Yes, and I was grateful and assumed that was the end of it." He stared at his hands as he folded them. "But when my hands started to turn to stone, I began to wonder if this whole thing was truly an accident. I especially got suspicious when I snuck to this lab and found his notes.

"Everything was about curing his eyesight and there were so many…disturbing experiments. He was so obsessed with it. This mechanical heart he created was originally a theory about how to cure his eyesight and when I thought about his violent behaviour…"

Lina drummed her fingers. "You're wondering if maybe you were a guinea pig?"

Zelgadis grimly nodded. "I decided I couldn't fully trust Rezo. I didn't want to risk him experimenting on me for Ceipheed knows what else. So, I began to see if I could find someone else to help me."

"Which led you to me." Lina sighed. "Wonderful."

"Will you still help me?" Zelgadis asked.

"Do you still plan to blackmail me?"

"Yes."

"Then that answers that question doesn't it." Lina shook her head. "For the time being, it's probably better if you stay here. Zolf and Rodimus will no doubt be hunting you down in every inn in the city."

Gourry folded his arms. "But won't they just track him down to your shop?"

"Yeah, but they don't know who I am and there are a ton of inns in this city for them to check out first." Lina winked. "It's going to take them a while to figure out where I am. So, we're safe."

"For the time being at least," Zelgadis replied as he stood. "If you don't mind I would like to go to bed. It's been an exhausting day."

Lina pointed upward. "Take the third room on the right, but don't you dare think you can sneak into my room in the middle of the night."

Zelgadis sighed, sounding very tired. "Like that will ever happen. Believe me, I have no intention of disturbing you and Gourry."

Lina choked. "What? G-Gourry and I aren't together!"

The mechanic stared, not sure what to think.

Zelgadis blinked. "Really? You two acted so much like a married couple I had assumed you were-"

"WE'RE NOT!" Lina growled.

The nobleman stared at her and nodded. "Ah, I see now. It's that kind of relationship."

Lina twitched. "What exactly do you mean 'that kind'?"

Zelgadis yawned. "I'm sorry, but I'll bid you good night. I'm going to bed," and he proceeded off to bed.

Lina glared at his back, but decided to drop the topic. She could just kill him in his sleep later.

Meanwhile, just outside the shop a dark figure grinned wolfishly. "Well, at least we found him." He rubbed the hilt of his sword and walked away down the alley. For the moment, he'd leave them alone. He had to make his report first, but once he was done with that and he could gather up some backup, then the fun would begin.


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

**Enter the Justice Girl!**

Four days went by without any sight from Zolf or Rodimus. Lina did make sure to keep her ears out for any mention of about the pair from passing conversations among her costumers, but there proved to be none. Zelgadis made himself right at home in Lina's shop, by helping himself to her collection of spellbooks and texts. At least, that's what he was doing until Lina gave him the task of counting the inventory. Lina refused to let the man become a freeloader without earning his keep. However, Zelgadis was glad to have something to do inside. He never ventured outside and he stayed out of view from the main window to reduce the risk of him being spotted and then word reaching back to Zolf and Rodimus.

It astounded Lina that the nobleman did not get cabin fever. Being forced to stay inside for so long would drive her crazy, yet he seemed persistent. Then again, the fact that Lina was working on his predicament might have been his main motivation for being able to stay inside for such a long period.

On the morning of the sixth day, Lina chewed the tip of her pencil as stared at the pile of Zelgadis's notes and the notes she wrote herself.

Gourry set her cup of coffee next to her. "How's it going?"

Lina growled. "At a snail's pace, since I don't even know where to start." She looked up the noblemen, who dunk a small spoon of sugar into his tea. "It would be a lot more helpful if I could have actual blueprints for this thing."

Zelgadis poured the cream into his cup. "That was impossible for me to do. Rezo always keeps his blueprints for his inventions hidden, and he keeps that information to himself. He doesn't even tell his assistant Eris. It's his way of ensuring that his research on technology is never public knowledge. He's rather paranoid in that regard." He sipped his tea, easing back into his chair. "The best I could do was to make copies of the notes he made."

Lina tapped her pencil on the paper fiercely. "That's all well and good, but it's rather hard for me to fix something when I don't have a clue on how its' suppose to work." She poked her pencil at the nobleman's chest. "And it's ten times harder when I can't even hold the damn thing in my hands since it's attached to your body."

Gourry nodded. "You could always operate, but I'm not sure I could trust you with a scalpel."

Zelgadis shivered. "Thanks, a lot Gourry. Now, I'm going to have nightmares."

The pencil snapped between Lina's fingers.

Gourry ignored the death glare and continued. "You keep looking at all the spellbooks and junk? Maybe it would be easier if you focused on the mechanical part of Zelgadis's heart?"

Lina shook her head. "That could be rather risky. We don't know exactly what kind of spells Rezo cast on it, or which part of it he attached the spells to. It would be safer to do some research on the magic half, before I tackle the mechanical part. For all I know, poking at a single screw with a wrench could blow Zelgadis up."

"I don't need any more fuel for nightmares," Zelgadis muttered.

With a brisk sigh, she stood up. "I'm getting no where, I'm going to the library."

Gourry raised an eyebrow. "Why? Your basement is a small library."

Lina grabbed an apple from the counter. "Yeah, but most of my spellbooks are mainly about black magic and shamanism. I don't have much on white magic."

Zelgadis nodded. "White magic does seem the most plausible for Rezo to use on my heart, since it requires having to attach it to my body and it was originally his specialty."

"Exactly, so I'm going to head to the library. Zelgadis, since if you can finish the inventory on the spare parts. Gourry, I'll leave the shop to you."

"Are you sure? Won't that tip people off that you can use magic if you go researching it?"

"Just because a person reads about magic, doesn't mean they also practice or actually use magic." Lina responded snagging another apple. "There are mechanics that read a bit about magic, but it's just so they'll have more fuel to argue and complain about." She winked at him. "So, I'll be fine. Just don't make a mess of the shop while I'm out."

"Come on, Lina, I only ever made one mess and that was an accident."

But the comment would go unanswered as Lina left and headed out onto the street.

The market square was relatively busy as Lina walked by. It took years of practice and great skill to weave in and out among the crowd without bumping into a single person. The square echoed with yells from the vendors and shouts from the costumers. Lina could barely hear herself breathe. Then she swiftly turned to take the shortcut through the alleyway and noise drifted behind her.

Soon, the only sound she could hear were the patter of her own pair of feet against the street. It was a reassuring sound, on the other hand, having to hear another pair of feet join in the noise making behind her put Lina on full alert. Without changing her pace, she glanced out of the corner of her eye.

Far behind her walked a lone figure, but he was too far off for Lina to see if he carried weapons. _"It's probably a mugger"_ Lina mused_. "But he must be a stupid one to do it in broad daylight."_ She did not run nor did she turn around, for that would give full warning to the stranger that she was on to him. _"I could use that new invention I made"_ Lina thought as her handed patter her front pocket. _"But there is a simpler way to handle this."_

She calmly kept walking and turned to the corner on the right. Sharply, Lina turned and brought out a wrench that she kept on herself for emergency repairs. Silently, she heard the stranger starting to run. The footsteps grew louder. Lina raised her weapon. The dark figure turned and Lina whacked him on the head.

The stranger landed face down in the dirt. He groaned loudly as Lina savored her victory and placed her foot on top of his back. "Nice try, but it will take a million years before a guy like you can mug Lina Inverse."

The stranger gave another groan, which cause Lina to glance down and notice for the first time her attacker was covered in fur, had point ears and a tail. She sweated a little. "A beastman? What's a beastman doing in Seyrune?"

"That is the least of your concern."

Lina whirled around and saw a whole group of more beastman. A werewolf grinned and reached for his sword. "I think your main concern should be your life."

She raised an eyebrow. "Hang out with bandits do you?"

The wolfman blinked. "What?"

"The line was rather cheesy, and I happen to know from personal experience that bandits tend to use clichés like that to death." She yawned, for the added effect. "So, I just thought you must hang around them a lot to use such unoriginal dialogue."

"I didn't know you hanged around bandits, Dilgear?" said one goatman who scratched his head.

Dilgear snarled at him, he looked like he would bite the goatman's head off. "I don't you idiot!" He turned back to Lina. "You certainly have a mouth; we'll have to make sure we gag it when we take you hostage."

Lina grimaced and slowly put her had into her pocket. Looks like she would have to use her new invention. "And just why exactly do you need to take me hostage?"

"That information is top secret, but because I'm feeling nice I'll give you a hint," Dilgear smirked. "Your friend happen to be in possession of a valuable object."

Lina frowned as her fingers grasped her weapon. "Friends?" she muttered. Did he mean Zelgadis or Gourry? She couldn't imagine Gourry having anything worth this much trouble, so he must be referring to Zelgadis. "And I take it your plan is to kidnap me and then trade me for this object?"

"Oh, something like that," Dilgear grinned. "But I can't say anymore than that." He unsheathed his sword. "So be a good girl and come along quietly."

"I was never much of a good girl!" Lina whipped out her large fork.

The wolfman paused. "What is that?"

"A little weapon I made," Lina smirked. It did look like a regular fork except for it being larger in size and it had a large dial on it.

Dilgear laughed. "That little thing?" He gestured the goatman to approach Lina with the rope he held.

Lina turned the dial as Dilgear continued to laugh. "Oh, I'm so scared. What do you plan to do? Poke our eyes out."

The goatman stepped towards her. In one swift motion, Lina jabbed the tuning fork into the goatman's chest. An electric shock jumped out. The goatman yelled in pain while being electrocuted. The air was reeking of burnt fur as the goatman twitched and fell to the ground.

Dilgear stared alarmed.

Lina spun the fork with her hands. "I call it 'the creep fryer'. It's a large fork that sends out an electric pulse. It's a perfect little device for any lady to use when dealing with creeps or perverts. No one would ever suspect a fork to be a weapon."

"That's a rather stupid idea," the goatman groaned from the ground.

"Who asked for your opinion?" Lina snapped, stomping her foot on the fallen beastman's hand.

Dilgear twitched. "I underestimated you, but don't think we're giving up that easy."

Lina was about to say "Come and try" when suddenly a blob of green slime hit her hand, forcing her to drop her fork.

Before she could react or even wipe off the slim, she was grabbed from behind. To add to the surprise, the person who had nabbed her was a fishman.

"I got her Dilgear!" the fishman nodded.

"Good work, Noonsa." The werewolf grinned as he walked forward. "Noonsa is the strongest fishman in his tribe-"

"And the most handsome," Noonsa added.

"Yeah, sure," Dilgear muttered, turning back to Lina. "My point is you won't be able to break free of his hold so easily."

In an attempt to prove him wrong, she kicked and yelled to break free. She even bite the fishman's arm, but the biggest reaction she got was a quiet "Ow." Lina snarled. Great! She couldn't move her hands to cast spells. She was helpless for the moment. Plus, out of the creatures to be captured by, it was a fishman. This couldn't be any more humiliating.

"Hey, bossman," yelled the wolfman who Lina recognized as the one she hit with her wrench earlier. He rubbed his head as approached them. "What if the girl is carrying the…um the thing?"

Dilgear blinked. "Hmm…you have a point." He looked over Lina's shoulder and stared directly at Lina's captor. "Noonsa, strip and search her."

Lina gagged. She lifted her leg in an attempt to kick Dilgear and was about to yell her protest, except another person beat her to it.

"NO WAY!" Noonsa cried. "That's just disgusting."

Lina stared amazed. The fishman had a moral code? Her luck was changing!

"It's gross enough that I have to hold her, but to see her naked," Noonsa shuddered. "T-that's beyond vile."

Lina gapped. Did she hear that right? The she promptly glared at him. She was the beautiful genius, who was being held hostage by a fishman, who only moments before shot green slime at her and HE was grossed out?

"Moreover," Noonsa continued. "Humans are known carriers of diseases. What if I catch something and become as ugly as she is."

Lina's blood boiled over. What did he think she was? A RAT? He was going to pay for those remarks. DEARLY!

"That's enough!" bellowed a new voice. The entire group looked around them, but didn't see where the voice came from.

"Up here!"

They all looked up. On top of the building, stood a girl who Lina guessed was around her own age. The girl glared, threw a fist in the air and pointed with her other arm. "As a champion of justice, I will not allow this crime to continue."

Letting loose a thunderous battle cry, she leapt off the building and landed on the street, face down. She lay motionless.

The beastman stared unsure how to respond. "Is she dead?" Noonsa asked.

As if answering the question, the girl jumped to her feet with red marks covering her face. Lina also noticed her leg also appeared to be slightly crooked.

"As I was saying," the girl began again. "I, Amelia, refuse to stand back and let you vile villains go through with your evil plans."

Dilgear groaned as she stepped forward. "Look kid, I have a schedule to keep, so butt out."

Amelia ignored his glared and stared directly at Noonsa. "I demand that you release the girl this instant."

Lina was sweating. This girl was either brave or stupid. Lina did appreciate the girl for trying to help, but she was going to be in over her head and Lina wasn't in any position to protect her.

Dilgear growled annoyed. "Aren't you listening?" The wolfman grabbed her shoulder. "I said-"

"PASIFIST CRUSH!"

Amelia punched Dilgear. The wolfman flew backwards. He headed straight for Noonsa and Lina. The fishman let go of Lina and tried to run. It proved too late. Lina jumped away. Dilgear slammed into Noonsa. Together, they slammed into the wall. The loud sound of the crash hurt Lina's ears. The other beastmen stared in horror.

Amelia smiled and made a victory sign with her hand. "That's what happens when you fight against justice!"

Lina stared, dumbfounded. "Where on earth did you learn that?"

Amelia smiled proudly. "That's a special move that my Daddy taught me to fight for justice with."

"What kind of a father would teach his daughter that?" Lina wanted to asked, but she stopped herself as she noticed Dilgear climb out of the rubble with Noonsa wobbling in tow.

"I've had enough of this!" He pointed his hand. "I'm taking both you hostage just for the hell of it!"

Lina grabbed her electric fork.

Amelia smirked. "With justice on our side, your evil plans will never-"

"DUCK!" Lina cried.

Startled the girl obeyed. Lina lunched over her giving an electric jolt to the catman that tried to sneak up on Amelia. The catman howled as fell to the ground twitching.

Amelia blinked.

Lina glared. "Quit making speeches and keep your guard up!"

The small girl stared Lina in awe. "That was cool! Can you teach me to do that?"

Lina groaned, but quickly remembered that they had to deal with the rest of the beastmen. The group now had both girls surrounded. _"There's too many to take out one by one with 'the creep fryer'."_ She thought. _"A spell or two could solve this, but that would expose me to the little 'hero' wanna be."_

Speaking of her short term partner, Lina glanced to her. Amelia was muttering under her breathe. _"Is she planning on another speech?"_

Dilgear sneered. "There's no escaping us now. Give up!"

Amelia suddenly grabbed Lina's wrist. "BOMB DI WIND!"

A gust of wind engulfed the area. The beastman were tossed aside, caught like leaves in the wind.

Lina stared, with her mouth hanging open. _"She knows magic?"_

"Come on!" Amelia's demand brought Lina out of her shock. The pair ran leaving the beastmen to moan and rubbed their sore heads and bodies.

They ran and didn't stop until they were a good distance away from their attackers. Lina lost her grip on her electric fork and let it fall to the ground. She leaned against the lamppost to catch her breathe. "Thanks, *huff* but I didn't think you were a sorceress *huff*."

Amelia sat on the pavement. "Well, I'm not actually a sorceress. I'm a priestess at the Seyrune temple."

A cold wave washed over Lina. A priestess? HER? The girl had a cherub like face like any other normal girl, but minus that, there was no clue Amelia was a Seyrune priestess of white magic. Her outfit consisted of mostly male clothing, a long sleeve shirt and pants. It wasn't a very feminine looking outfit. All the priestesses Lina had ever met were always told to wear their long robes or dresses when outside the temple in order to uphold the holy image. So, how could Amelia get away with it?

Lina only wore overalls when she was working, but except for that, she normally wore a dress otherwise Lina would be getting a few odd looks from her costumers.

Lina broke free of her thoughts. "Anyway, thanks for the help."

"Not a problem," Amelia cheered standing up. "It's part of being a champion of justice!"

"Right…" Lina muttered.

"Although, you were doing alright by yourself right up until that fishman grabbed you." Amelia folded her hands. "And the wrench was a nice touch."

Lina paused. "Wait, you saw the whole thing?"

Amelia nodded. "There was a nest of baby birds up there and I wanted to see how they were doing, but then I saw that beastman that tried to sneak up on you in the alley."

"Then why didn't you step in before they that fishman grabbed me?" Lina hollered. "Champion of justice my foot!"

"I was!" Amelia replied frantically. "But then you whacked him with the wrench and when the group appeared you brought out that um…'deep fryer?'"

"Creep fryer."

"Right. So, you see I was planning to help, but at that point you seemed to have it under control until that Noonsa grabbed you."

Lina frowned and sighed. "Yeah, fine, whatever. I'm too tired to care."

The girl leaned in closer. "So, are you an inventor?"

Lina massaged her shoulders. "I thought that was rather obvious."

Amelia's eyes brighten. She suddenly had the expression cat who had discovered how to get tuna from a tin can. "Do you think you could teach me-"

Lina raised her hand. "Look, no offense, but I'm heading home." She could tell the girl wanted to ask further, but she continued to walk off. Lina already had a grouchy nobleman to deal with, and a jellyfish brain mechanic, she didn't need a justice freak to add to the list. Lina waved a quick goodbye and started to head for home.

Lina was tempted to call a carriage for a ride home, but she decided to walk. It would give her the time to collect her thoughts. Theoretically, Lina could still head for the library, but Dilgear and his goons could still be hanging around there waiting for him. Nothing went as planned this morning.

"_So, much for the library,"_ she thought as she dumped her hands into her pockets. It's wasn't that huge of a deal, since she could just go tomorrow or the day after. _"That Dilgear is what I should be worried about right now."_ Her first thought was that he was working with Zolf and Rodimus, but that didn't feel right. Dilgear seemed more engrossed in getting a particular item, not a person. _"Although, that doesn't mean they aren't working together." _She entered the front door of the shop and walked to the back room. "_They could be working together, but each have their own goals. It can't be a coincidence that both Dilgear and Zolf and Rodimus would appear in just days of each other. Still, my gut is saying otherwise."_

"You're back early," Zelgadis replied, glancing up from his book. "I didn't expect you would be back until this evening."

Lina folded her arms as she came into the room. She noticed Gourry was on his hands and knees, looking through a cupboard. "Well, being attacked and almost kidnapped can change a person's plans."

Gourry bumped his head. Rubbing his sore head, he exclaimed "You were kidnapped?"

"Almost," Lina corrected. "A bunch of beastmen try to jump me before I got to the library."

Zelgadis book his book down, frowning. "Beastmen? In Seyrune? Did they just want your money?"

Lina shook her head. "That's the odd part, they didn't want anything from me," She narrowed her eyes. "But they made it very clear they wanted something from one of you guys?"

"Us?" Gourry asked, wiping his hands on a cloth. "Do you think they're working with Zolf and Rodimus?"

Lina shook her head. "My gut is saying 'No'. Zolf and Rodimus are after Zelgadis himself, but their leader Dilgear wanted to hold me hostage in exchange for a 'valuable' item one of you guys have."

Zegadis drummed his fingers. "That doesn't make any sense. I don't have anything that valuable. The only things I have are the items I took from home to pay you, but I can't imagine anyone going to that much trouble to get their hands on them."

Lina nodded. "That's what I thought, and we can agree Gourry doesn't have anything worth while to steal."

The mechanic toyed with the cloth in his hands, lost in his own little world.

"Gourry, are you listening?"

"What? Oh, yeah, sorry."

Lina sighed and muttered "Jellyfish brain," before sitting down. "In any case, we better keep our guard up. The only item I can think of they would go this much trouble too would be Zel's mechanical heart, but how could they know about it?" She pushed her chair back on its' legs. "Plus, they made it sound like you could just hand it over, which really doesn't make much sense."

"Um..His mechanical what?"

Startled, Lina fell backwards in her chair. She looked up, to see Amelia's confused face hovering above her. "Miss Lina, are you alright?"

Lina bolted upward and whirled around. "Amelia, what are you doing here?"

Amelia reached into her pocket. "You dropped your creep fryer so I came to give it back to you. I didn't mean to ease drop, but when there was nobody up front and I heard voices coming from back here."

Lina gulped. "How much did you hear?"

Amelia pondered as she glanced up to the ceiling and folding her arms. "Not much to make any sense. What's a mechanical heart?"

"Oh, uh?" Lina stammered. _Think, Inverse! Think!_ _Something she'll believe. _ "It's a top secret cookie recipe!" _Lame! Worse cover up ever!_

"A cookie recipe?" Amelia replied, looking baffled. "But-"

"Lina, who is this girl?" Gourry chimed in.

Lina sighed, thankful for the change of subject. "This is Amelia, she helped me out when the beastmen attacked me." She looked back to the girl. "Amelia, these are my friends. The blonde idiot over there is my worker Gourry, and the one brooding at the table is Zelgadis."

Amelia nodded and smiled. "It's nice to meet you." She turned to the nobleman. "Are you one of Miss Lina's workers too?"

"Hardly," Zelgadis replied, getting up from his chair. "I'm more of a client." He frowned as he stared at her, stroking his chin. "Have we met before?"

Amelia shook her head. "I don't think so. I'm rather good at remembering peoples' faces."

Zelgadis shook his head. "No, I'm certain I've seen you somewhere before." He quietly growled. "It's going to keep nagging at me until I remember exactly where."

"You do that," Lina muttered, as she turned her attention back to Amelia. "How did you find this place? I know I wasn't followed." She raised an eyebrow. "And I don't recall ever telling you my name."

Amelia grinned. "Oh, that was easy. You're name and address was inscribed on your invention."

"…Oh, right. Of course," Lina grumbled, feeling like an idiot.

Gourry titled his head. "You personalize your inventions?"

She folded her arms and opened one eye at him. "Of course, I put a lot of work into my inventions. It's to ensure that if they're ever stolen no one can steal credit for them."

"With inventions like that, who would want to?"

"Um, as I was saying before," said Amelia. "Miss Lina, I would like to ask something of you."

Lina sighed. Wonderful, just what she needed. "And what's that?"

Amelia's eyes brighten. "Will you make me your student?"

That caught Lina by surprise. "My student? In what?"

Zelgadis and Gourry both choked.

"Technology, machines, inventions, everything that involves your line of work," Amelia listed off. "I've been trying to find someone who will teach me, but I haven't found any good capable teachers." She threw a fist in the air. "But after I saw your invention at work with your justice loving heart against those villains I knew instantly you were the right one!"

"You're kidding, right?" Zelgadis replied shocked, along with Gourry who appeared speechless.

Lina disregarded the comment. "Why do you want to learn that stuff when you're a priestess?"

"She's a priestess?" both boys exclaimed at the same time.

The boy's opinions were again unnoticed. "It's to help my daddy." Amelia's body shook with excitement. "My father's dream is to make peace between the magic users and the revolutionaries. In order to help him with his just cause I must learn about both sides in order to gain a better understanding, that will in the end promote justice and peace and-"

"Okay, I get it!" Lina snapped. "Look, I appreciate, your enthusiasm, but I'm not taking on any students."

A determine look appeared on the girl's face. "I can help you with your work."

"No."

"I can clean your shop."

"Look, I said-"

"I can pay you."

Lina slapped her hand on Amelia's shoulder. "Welcome to Inverse University where you will gain a proper and high education in technology and machines."

Amelia hugged her. "Thank you Miss Lina! You won't regret it!"

"Wait!" Gourry grabbed Lina's hand. "Excuse us, we need to talk," he said to Amelia as he pulled Lina to the front of the store. When they were out of hearing range, the mechanic crossed his arms. "Lina do you honestly think it's a good idea?"

"Sure it is," Lina instantly replied. "It means extra money for me."

"Lina, be serious." He leaned in close. "Do you really want to drag another person into this mess? We're in enough trouble as it is."

"Gourry, I'm not dragging Amelia into anything." She brushed the hair out of her face. "I'm just going to teach her the basics and that's it. Nothing else, and then she's gone." She leaned against the wall. "And even if I did refuse, she seems to be the type to just keep pestering me until she gets what she wants. So, it wouldn't make any difference. At least if I say yes, we'll have better control of making sure she doesn't accidentally find out about Zelgadis's heart."

"But still-"

"Besides Gourry, I don't want the extra money for myself." Lina placed her hands on his shoulders. "We're also going to need money to buy equipment and what other special tools we need to fix Zel's heart. So, we could use the extra money." She pulled her hands back and folded her arms across her chest. "Zelgadis's only has enough to pay me; he doesn't have a lot of extra money for research. So, unfortunately, it's going to have to come from my own pocket until he has actual finances again to pay me back."

The mechanic stilled appeared doubtful, but sighed. "You're the boss, but if you ask me I think things are going to get more dangerous from here on out."

Lina bit her lip. She couldn't deny it, since she had the same feeling in her gut. It would be nice to think her gut was wrong for once.


End file.
